Over the past 20 years, we have taken an entrepreneurial approach to be one of the best in the business. We look inside and outside the firm for opportunities to leverage our expertise. Guided by a management team with in-depth knowledge and experience in the derivatives industry, we have developed a proven track record of building and accelerating some of the industry’s most elite trading teams.
Who We Are
We are an entrepreneurial, collaborative organization that seeks to capitalize on opportunities in the financial market by partnering with individuals, teams, and organizations.
a history of success
1999
Geneva Trading is founded in Dublin, Ireland
In 1999, Geneva Trading was founded in Dublin, Ireland by Art Brereton and Thomas Freytag.
2000
Geneva Trading opens its Chicago office
In 2000, Geneva opened its office in Chicago in order to facilitate its expansion into other markets.
2003
Geneva becomes a significant liquidity provider to Eurex
As part of its growth strategy, Geneva began making markets on Eurex and becomes a significant participant in Eurex’s equity index futures complex.
2005
Geneva's trading footprint expands
By 2005, Geneva had achieved a diversified expansion into different markets, and our headcount grew as well. Between 1999 and 2005 we grew from 7 employees to 87.
2006
Energy expansion
Beginning in 2006, Geneva made a concerted effort to bring its expertise in the futures markets to the new electronic energy markets. We quickly became a dominant provider of liquidity to these products, providing traction to all market participants.
2008
Geneva forms oil trading operation
In 2008, Geneva further expanded its energy presence with a dedicated oil trading desk, providing substantial liquidity in the swap futures markets.
2010
Geneva Trading expands its automated trading capabilities
In 2010, Geneva acquired market-making technology platform and principal trading firm Mercury Holdings Group, and began leveraging the technology into a variety of markets and related trading applications.
“The team at Mercury clearly had a lot of potential, but we recognized the need to scale and leverage the resources of a firm like Geneva. Success in today’s markets requires more than just high performance technology, and Geneva’s extensive resources, global footprint and expertise in all aspects of the business was critical to realizing our success. Together we exceeded our ambitious goals and expectations.” Gerard Shannon, member of Geneva’s Board of Managers and former Mercury partner
2013
Geneva broadens its technology array with innovative GX2 joint venture
GX2 Systems, LLC is a joint venture technology company. GX2 provides a guaranteed spread execution platform across multiple asset classes utilizing a unique, patented, and highly innovative approach to spread trading.
“Partnering with Geneva has been a major part of our success. Their guidance, creativity, and resources allowed us to fully realize the vision we had for our unique technology.” David Jaberg, President & CEO of GX2 Systems, LLC
2016
Geneva Trading Acquires Options Trading Platform, Expands Into Asia
Geneva acquired the options trading platform and intellectual property of Toji International, LLC, a firm with deep expertise in the Asian-Pacific markets. Toji’s team joined the Geneva organization and an office in Singapore was opened, thus launching Geneva’s options trading venture.
“Geneva was a perfect match for Toji. We bring valuable assets to the table with our Asian trading experience, infrastructure and a scalable option trading platform. Combining our options trading platform with Geneva’s futures trading business provides a tremendous opportunity to build a global options trading business.” Beecher Abeles, Head of Options Trading at Geneva and a founding partner at Toji.
2018
New and Improved Block Markets
Geneva relaunches an improved phone-brokered oil trading operation using advanced technology optimized with enhanced strategies to provide liquidity in this important market.
Today
Geneva continues its entrepreneurial approach
Geneva is constantly searching for individuals, teams, and organization to leverage our business and technology platform. Let us help you grow.
— Senior Management Team —
Rob Creamer
President & CEO
Christopher McNulty, Sr.
Managing Director & Chief Operations Officer
Darek Potchebout
Managing Director & Chief Technology Officer
Jeff Ramsey
Managing Director & General Counsel
— Board of Managers —
H. Arthur Brereton
Rob Creamer
Thomas Freytag
Gerard Shannon
Rob Creamer
President & CEO
Rob has been Geneva’s President & CEO since 2010 and is a member of Geneva’s Board of Managers. Rob joined Geneva as a trader in 2001 and has been responsible for product development, strategy, and business development, as well as being intimately involved in the development of Geneva’s proprietary technology.
Prior to joining Geneva, he was a serial entrepreneur who founded several transformative companies in industries that could benefit from technology and digital networks. He holds several patents in the fields of online gaming, advertising, and digital imaging.
Rob serves on the Board of the Futures Industry Association (FIA), is Chairman of the FIA Principal Traders Group and is an Associate Member of the CFTC’s Energy and Environmental Markets Advisory Committee.
Outside of his industry work, Rob is active with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and enjoys skiing, running and spending time with his family.
Christopher McNulty, Sr.
Managing Director & Chief Operations Officer
Chris joined Geneva Trading in 2009 and is our COO responsible for global operational oversight. He brings more than 33 years of experience in the futures industry in both trading and leadership roles.
Prior to joining Geneva, Chris founded two proprietary trading firms that traded on several international exchanges including the CME Group, ICE, EUREX and Euronext-LIFFE, employing both electronic and open outcry strategies. He was also a limited partner and Chief Operating Officer of Marquette Partners.
Chris is passionate about charitable activities and has significant non-profit experience as a member of various Boards of Trustees and as Chair of an Endowment Board and a Finance Committee.
Darek Potchebout
Managing Director & Chief Technology Officer
Darek is Geneva’s CTO and is an innovative tech entrepreneur with a passion for the financial industry.
Prior to joining Geneva, Darek was the CTO of GX2 Systems and Breakwater Trading. Darek has architected risk and middle office systems, low-latency order management services, smart order routing and execution services.
Prior to Breakwater, Darek managed the eOperations Treasury Management Team for BA Direct, a widely used e-commerce portal from Bank of America. Before “The Cloud” was an everyday term, Darek was an integral part of a venture that delivered innovative cloud-based middle- and back-office solutions to trading firms.
Jeff Ramsey
Managing Director & General Counsel
Jeff is Geneva’s General Counsel and focuses on the firm’s regulatory and legal matters, corporate strategy development and execution, intellectual property protection and management, and M&A efforts. He has spent his entire career in the financial industry in a variety of roles and encompassing diverse areas including trading, investment banking, and asset management. Jeff speaks at industry and legal conferences and is an active participant in advocacy organizations within the industry.
In his spare time Jeff enjoys motorsports, history, music, and spending time with his family.
H. Arthur Brereton
Art co-founded Geneva Trading in Dublin in 1999, served as its Chief Executive until 2003, and is a member of Geneva’s Board of Managers. His experience in derivatives began as a member of the Chicago Board of Trade in 1983 as an independent trader. He has also been a member and traded on the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Sydney Futures Exchange, and London International Financial Futures Exchange. He joined Marquette Partners in 1994 and became a limited partner before leaving to form Geneva Trading.
Art came to derivatives trading as a second career. He began his professional life as a Naval Architect and he designed hardware for racing sailboats from 1976 until 1983. He founded Melges Spars in 1979 with sailing icon Buddy Melges, and is an accomplished sailor. Art has won National Championships and has participated successfully in numerous regattas overseas.
Outside of Geneva, Art owns a farm in Missouri with his extended family and has a keen interest in water and land conservation. He and his family of five live in Winnetka, Illinois and Torch Lake, Michigan.
Rob Creamer
Rob has been Geneva’s President & CEO since 2010 and is a member of Geneva’s Board of Managers. Rob joined Geneva as a trader in 2001 and has been responsible for product development, strategy, and business development, as well as being intimately involved in the development of Geneva’s proprietary technology.
Prior to joining Geneva, he was a serial entrepreneur who founded several transformative companies in industries that could benefit from technology and digital networks. He holds several patents in the fields of online gaming, advertising, and digital imaging.
Rob serves on the Board of the Futures Industry Association (FIA), is Chairman of the FIA Principal Traders Group and is an Associate Member of the CFTC’s Energy and Environmental Markets Advisory Committee.
Outside of his industry work, Rob is active with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and enjoys skiing, running and spending time with his family.
Thomas Freytag
“T” co- founded Geneva Trading in 1999 in Dublin and is a member of Geneva’s Board of Managers. He developed and taught his trading methodology and discipline, focused on a framework of high reward, low risk strategies, to Geneva’s traders as the firm expanded. T began his futures trading career at the Chicago Board of Trade as an independent trader in the bond and equity index trading pits before becoming a limited partner of Marquette Partners, overseeing the expansion of Marquette’s proprietary trading group in London.
Outside of Geneva Trading, T is an avid and world class sailor. He has raced since the age of six and has competed around the world at the highest level. A partial list of his championships include overall Gold Cup wins in 1997, 2002 and 2003 and the US National Championship in 2003.
He and his family live in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin where they are active members in the community.
Gerard Shannon
Gerard is a member of Geneva’s Board of Managers, a CME and IMM member, and traded on the CME floor as a selected market maker in the interest rate quadrant for over 25 yrs. He has served on several committees and boards at the CME throughout his career and helped launch the introduction of options on futures in the agricultural markets. In 1985, he founded GMS Trading Corp, which was one of the first trading groups to begin providing electronic market making for CME, helping drive the migration of trading to the screen in 2002. Gerard served as GMS Trading’s President until its expansion with Mercury Holdings, a principal trading firm, in 2007. In 2010 Mercury Holdings merged with Geneva Trading and merged each party’s technology to create a state of the art automated trading platform, providing liquidity for futures exchanges around the world.
The Shannon family resides in Lake Forest where they are active members in their church and community. Gerard is an avid fitness enthusiast who has competed in many triathlons and marathons. In his free time, he enjoys golf, fishing and spending time with his wife and three children at his second home in Marco Island, Florida.